Jainism
Jainism is a religion that promotes complete non-violence or ahimsa. Jainism began in the 6th century BC, around the time Buddhism was developing. The faith's name comes from the Sanskrit word jin, which means to conquer; a reference to practitioners of Jainism who have conquered their desires and have become perfected and achieved liberation. Jainism was developed by a line of 24 tirthankaras, or spiritual leaders. The 24th and final tirthankara, Mahavira, is commonly known as the founder of Jainism. Followers of Jainism are called Jains, most of who live in India. Jain practices revolve around meditaton and chanting sacred mantras. History Jainism arose in the 6th century BC, around the same time Buddhism was developing. Jainism shares common ideals with the main religion of India, Hinduism. During this time, there was much spiritual confusion in India and many responded by adhering to other faiths. Mahavira is usually regarded as the founder of Jainism, although there were 24 Jain spiritual leaders who lived before him. Mahavira lived was believed to have lived from 599 to 527 BC, but some historians believe that he was a contemporary of the Buddha. Like the Buddha, Mahavira was born into the warrior cast. At the age of 30, he renounced his kingdom to seek spiritual enlightenment. He lived an asthetic live before finally finding enlightenment at the age of 43. Most of Mahavira's diciples were former Brahmins (Hindu priests). It's believed that Mahavira fasted to death. Beliefs Cosmology Jains do not believe in a creator deity, much like Buddhism. Jains believe that the universe is eternal; nothing has ever been created and nothing will ever be destroyed. The universe consists of three realms: the heavens, the earth, and the hells. There are seven levels of heaven, according to Jain cosmology. The highest level of heaven is reserved for liberated souls and the second serves as the abode for divine beings, called devas. There are eight levels of hell which get progressively colder as they descend. God The Jain belief that the universe was never created and will never be destroyed leaves little room for a creator God. Jains do, however, believe in many divine beings and gods called devas. The temperament of the gods depends on which level of heaven they exist on. The higher gods behave more godly while the lower gods behave more human. Because the gods are capable of death, it's not impossible for someone to have lived many past lives as a god before. Although these deities are not responsible for the creation or maintenance of the universe, humans can call upon them in times of assistance. Ahimsa See below Karma Like Hindus and Buddhists, Jains believe in karma. Karma is the determining factor in which a person is reborn. Negative karma results in the rebirth as a lower being such as an animal and positive karma results in the rebirth as a god or human. Jains believe that karma is the binding force that which tethers beings to the world. Practices like meditation and fasting burn off karma, allowing a closer shot to liberation. The afterlife Jains accept the idea of reincarnation. Depending on karma, a soul can be reborn into any one of the three dimensions. Those with good karma can be reborn as a deity in one of the levels of heaven or as a human, while those with bad karma can be reborn as an animal or a lower being in one of the eight levels of hell. According to Jainism, the eight levels of hell get progressively colder as the ascend. Suffering in one of the eight levels of hell is not eternal. Ethics Mahavira taught five moral codes that all Jains must follow in order to rid themselves of bad karma and escape the wheel of death and rebirth. : 1. non-violence (ahimsa) : 2. truthfulness (satya) : 3. taking only that which is freely given; not stealing (asteya) : 4. non-possessiveness (aparigraha) : 5. chastitiy (brahmacharya) Non-violence The most emphasized teaching in which the entire philosophy of Jainism is centered around is ahimsa, or non-violence. Although the idea of ahimsa appeared in both Hinduism and Buddhism, it was not as stressed as it was in Jainism. Jains believe that one cannot attain liberation unless they renounce killing or causing harm to any living being in any way. It is required that Jains follow a vegetarian or vegan diet to ensure that they are not indirectly causing harm to animals. Jains are also restricted to eat root vegetables to avoid killing the plant. Because of the extreme measures Jains go to to avoid causing death, Jainism's population has been seemingly decreasing over the years. Practices Jainism shares many practices and rituals with Hinduism and Buddhism. Practices like meditation, chanting sacred mantras and yoga are all fundamental parts of Jainism. Worship Worship occurs at stone temples or in shrines at home. Worhip rituals include chanting sacred mantra and gazing at the images of the gods. Meditation Jain meditation is aimed at attaining a peaceful state of mind. Jains also meditate to learn about theirselves and burn off karma. Category:Religion Category:Jainism